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Degree Requirements

The information below outlines the requirements for the Master's in Telecommunications degree. Students should consult the Graduate Handbook for further details regarding current requirements and regulations.

Requirements to earn the Master's in Telecommunications degree include completing 30 credit hours of course work, achieving a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0, and submitting a satisfactory scholarly paper. The 30 credits include eight required courses and two elective courses. This is a non-thesis option program. All graduate students at the University of Maryland are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA each semester to remain in good standing. Upon successful completion of the program requirements, students graduate with a Master of Science in Telecommunications.

Course Requirement

The following eight Core Courses (24 credits) are required for all students:

Technical Core Courses (12 credits):

ENTS 622 Introduction to Digital Communication Systems

ENTS 640 Telecommunication Networks

ENTS 641 Communication Protocols

At least one of the following selective core courses:

ENTS 653 AWS/PCS System Implementation

ENTS 656 Introduction to Cellular Communication Networks

ENTS 657 Satellite Communications Systems

Management Core Courses (12 credits)

ENTS 625 Management and Organizational Behavior in the Telecommunications Industry

ENTS 630 The Economics of International Telecommunications Policy and Regulation

ENTS 632 Telecommunications Marketing Management

ENTS 635 Decision Support Methods for Telecommunication Managers

Also, two Elective Courses (6 credits) must be chosen from any additional offered ENTS courses (exempting the one selected for the technical core above). The selected elective courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Additional courses beyond the required courses must be approved by the Program Office and should not impede the student’s progress towards degree completion. ALL courses taken at the University of Maryland count towards the student’s cumulative GPA.

Scholarly Paper Requirement

All students must write and submit an approved Scholarly Paper prior to the end of their final semester to fulfill their degree requirement.

Description

The Scholarly Paper will demonstrate the student’s ability to synthesize technical information in a coherent form. Telecommunications professionals, like most engineers and executives, will inevitably be called upon to compose technical or business documents. The Scholarly Paper is comparable to a “Working Paper” or trade publication. The Scholarly Paper does not require the student to conduct original research, but rather an investigation into the selected topic through credible sources will be sufficient to draw conclusions.

The Scholarly Paper is not associated with course registration. It would be expected that students complete most of their course work prior to embarking upon the Scholarly Paper so that they have a breadth of knowledge from which they can identify a suitable topic.

Students should begin planning for the Scholarly Paper by the end of their first year. Generally, students will complete the Scholarly Paper during the final semester. Students should submit the appropriate paperwork on Canvas by the stated deadlines of the semester in which they wish to graduate.

After choosing a topic, students must submit the Scholarly Paper Topic Approval Form via Canvas at the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Any change in topic will require students to submit a new approval form. Once the paper is completed, students must submit the Scholarly Paper Submission Form and the Scholarly Paper via Canvas as one document during the semester in which they plan to graduate. Only papers of the highest quality will be approved. If the paper is not approved, the student will not graduate in the intended semester.

Once the topic is approved, the student should work independently. Extensive advising should not be required. Joint papers with other students are not permitted.

Please refer to the Scholarly Paper page for more information, which contains a detailed set of guidelines, suggestions and hints on to successfully write the Scholarly Paper.